The Skeleton Crew is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe

Marvel Universe

The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...

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Fictional team history

The Skeleton Crew was an organization built by the Red Skull

Red Skull

The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....

 from his operatives. The original lineup was headed by Crossbones

Crossbones (comics)

Crossbones is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Kieron Dwyer in Captain America #359-360 . Crossbones usually appears as a henchman of the Red Skull...

, and consisted of Mother Night

Mother Night (comics)

Mother Night is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Susan Scarbo was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. Susan and her brother Melvin Scarbo formed a sibling hypnosis stage act for profit. They soon after became professional criminals, hypnotizing innocent people...

 (aka Suprema), Machinesmith

Machinesmith

Machinesmith is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in robotics, and is able to make convincing doubles of other superhumans...

, the Voice

Voice (comics)

Voice is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Jason Cragg is not to be confused with David Angar, alias Angar the Screamer, who once used the alias of the Voice.-Fictional character biography:Jason Lorne Cragg was born in Gary, Indiana...

, and the fourth Sleeper

Sleeper (Marvel Comics)

Sleeper is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The Sleeper was the most powerful of four robots designed in Berlin by Nazi Germany as agents of destruction. After World War II, the Sleeper was entombed within a crypt that was sunk into the sea...

. These operatives repeatedly came into conflict with Captain America

Captain America

Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...

 and the other Avengers

Avengers (comics)

The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...

. Mother Night's brother, Minister Blood, assisted the Skeleton Crew on their mission against the Avengers.

Crossbones was later expelled from the group for questioning one of the Red Skull's orders, and replaced with Cutthroat

Cutthroat (comics)

Cutthroat is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #89. He is the brother of Diamondback.-Fictional character biography:...

. Blackwing and Jack O'Lantern joined soon thereafter. Ultimately, the Skeleton Crew was defeated by Captain America and Diamondback

Diamondback (comics)

Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...

, and sent to prison.